This invention relates to microbiological reactions and, in particular, relates to a device and process for contacting microbiological growths with organic or inorganic substances under anaerobic or aerobic reaction conditions
This invention is useful in bringing microbiological growths into contact with organic and/or inorganic substances, e.g., in industrial fermentation industries and in the treatment of sewage and industrial wastewaters. The invention is useful in the presence or absence of gaseous oxygen, depending on the nature of the microbiological reactions involved and the environment in which the invention is used.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a process for treating a fluid material with microbiological growths by means an open-ended coiled tube which supports the microbiological growths internally and which rotates in a bath of the fluid material to pick up the fluid material and pass it to an internal channel for disposal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for treating a fluid material with microbiological growths which has an elongated hollow center member with a series of connections through the outside wall and coiled tubes connected to the connections and surrounding the center member and open at their outer end for picking up the material to be treated. The microbiological growths are supported inside the tubes and contact the material to be treated as it passes through the tubes as the member and tubes are rotated in a bath of the material being treated.
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.